Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

[Hayden]

I know that we have a thread to facilitate this sort of discussion, and a place to vent our excitement for up coming movies. But I felt that this particular film deserves its own thread, seeing as how the majority of us here are highly anticipating its release - something I've deduced from the fact that about 90% of the posts in the 'Up Coming Movie Thread' have mentioned it. I'm referring, of course, to 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides':

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/On_Stranger_Tides_Poster.jpg

As the poster states, this will be released on May 20, which is under two months away! And, as though some fans weren't excited enough, a new trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0_hqFW5hcg&feature=feedu) has now been released (though I do warn you that this trailer may contain what will perhaps be the best parts of the film).

[Secret Fawful]

Good idea for a topic! I'd love to see more individual topics like this on specific movies around here. So, Pirates:

Here are some more character posters. I really love the look they've gone for with them; they're really nice, and really simple.

http://i.imgur.com/xInDi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2fCF6.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/uWOZE.jpg

And here is some concept art.

http://i.imgur.com/hfH6p.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QpdX6.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vvrhv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/q2KCp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sxTqb.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/X9JIx.jpg

And finally, some screencaps. The film really looks like it's sporting some nice visuals.

http://i.imgur.com/xo59W.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4VUEN.png

http://i.imgur.com/KOYBs.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lH4Zf.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iHFjU.png

[Hayden]

Wow, I haven't even seen those screenshots yet! They look incredible!

And yeah, I too like the way they've gone with the promo posters. Except this one isn't too great; it just looks a little too Photoshopped:

http://www.celebrityfanweb.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-On-Stranger-Tides-Poster-2.jpg

And, by the way, I need to find out the name of that concept artist. Whoever it is is incredible!

Edit: Oh, and for all who haven't heard (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-captured/posts/exclusive-disney-will-set-sail-for-pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-6-back-to-back)...

[Secret Fawful]

That one is bloody horrid. You can't even see the ship you're obviously supposed to be able to see behind his hair!

I'm incredibly interested in this movie, not just as a mega-fan of this series, but also because I'm insanely interested to see how it fares under a new director, as well as how it fares as a fourth sequel. I think this one might be the one to break the fourth sequel curse as far as quality, or at least I'm hoping as much. It's basically already been confirmed that there'll be a fifth and sixth movie made as well, so it's obvious they have plenty of ideas left, and I think this is a series that can easily have plenty of material. This is the new Sinbad/Indiana Jones of the 00's-10's. Curse of the Black Pearl is in my top ten films, although Dead Man's Chest comes in very close to it. I consider them both to be near-perfect adventure movies, but that's me. Returning to that scope will ultimately save the fourth movie. Also, I'm insanely excited to see if Zimmer can top his score for the third movie, a score that is one of the greatest, in my opinion, of all time. I actually kind of hope that Zimmer will reuse some of the themes he had in At World's End, because some of them were just...wow.

I'm glad Will and Elizabeth are gone, I'm hoping that the young man and mermaid thing going on in this film doesn't mimic it, and I'm also kind of happy that the two British soldiers, plus Pintel and Ragetti, are all gone as well. It makes it all much fresher.

So, yeah. Long post there, but just some of my general thoughts on the film so far. The first trailer wasn't very strong, but the newest trailer gives a much better impression of the film overall.

EDIT: Ninja'd on the fifth and sixth Pirates films announcement-

[Hayden]

That one is bloody horrid. You can't even see the ship you're obviously supposed to be able to see behind his hair!

I'm incredibly interested in this movie, not just as a mega-fan of this series, but also because I'm insanely interested to see how it fares under a new director, as well as how it fares as a fourth sequel. I think this one might be the one to break the fourth sequel curse as far as quality, or at least I'm hoping as much. It's basically already been confirmed that there'll be a fifth and sixth movie made as well, so it's obvious they have plenty of ideas left, and I think this is a series that can easily have plenty of material. This is the new Sinbad/Indiana Jones of the 00's-10's. Curse of the Black Pearl is in my top ten films, although Dead Man's Chest comes in very close to it. I consider them both to be near-perfect adventure movies, but that's me. Returning to that scope will ultimately save the fourth movie.

You've basically summed up my thoughts on the film right here (and my thoughts on the poster). The announcement/rumour of a further two films in the franchise has also made me much more confident about this film, and for the same reasons - it's an indicator that they've got a whole bag of ideas and concepts, and that they're not simply putting out a watered-down version of what we've seen in the previous films.

Also, I'm thinking that this film will be fine with a new director. If anything, it should be a breath of fresh air into the series. Plus, Rob Marshall specializes in choreography, doesn't he? So it should make for some pretty kickass action sequences (though this may be wishful thinking from me).

And even if the cinematography is semi-crappy, at least the story and script should be reasonable, as this installment has the same writers as the last three films.

I'm glad Will and Elizabeth are gone, I'm hoping that the young man and mermaid thing going on in this film doesn't mimic it, and I'm also kind of happy that the two British soldiers, plus Pintel and Ragetti, are all gone as well. It makes it all much fresher.

I know right? It's a good thing that so many of the characters are gone! This is something that I've tried to tell people: the removal of these characters will stop the series from becoming stale and repetitive. But people just don't seem to be able to grasp this idea, instead going with the mindset of "it's gonna suck because Will and Elizabeth aren't in it" - these are the exact words I've heard and read from so many people. It's incredibly frustrating.

So, yeah. Long post there, but just some of my general thoughts on the film so far. The first trailer wasn't very strong, but the newest trailer gives a much better impression of the film overall.

Aye, I just can't wait to see how it all comes together now :).

Edit: Also, just out of interest, what were your basic thoughts on the third film?

[Ash735]

I am interested but also fear it at the same time, I've read On Stranger Times a lot and love the book, but I don't really see Jack Sparrow in there, so it will be interesting to see how much of the book and events are kept in.

[Secret Fawful]

But people just don't seem to be able to grasp this idea, instead going with the mindset of "it's gonna suck because Will and Elizabeth aren't in it" - these are the exact words I've heard and read from so many people. It's incredibly frustrating.

...Same here. There are a lot of reasons why I'm glad to see them go, most of which stem from the third movie.


Edit: Also, just out of interest, what were your basic thoughts on the third film?

I think there is so much that they did wrong with it. For one, if they had wanted to stop at film three, then there is one big thing they should have done. They should have left Jack Sparrow dead. That would have taken some real balls, and if I was writing the trilogy, it's what I would have done. Jack's death in film two was an incredible scene, and I couldn't stop thinking about it when I left the theater. Saving Jack takes away from the impact of it. If he was dead, and gone for good, then that would have been the ballsiest thing they could have ever done. Once Jack was dead, I would have had Will become the hero of film three, and focused it entirely on him trying to save his father, amidst a background of realistic war between pirates and the British army. and I would have had Will adopt a mindset of "what would Jack do" causing him to inevitably adopt some of Jack's mannerisms and cunning. I might have even had Will go a little nutty, and brought Jack back as a hallucination. Maybe even as a ghost; that would have been fun. It would have been better than the crab desert.

Davy Jones was wasted in film three. He was an amazing villain, and in my opinion, a better one than Barbossa. Barbossa became more of an anti-hero, and that is something that has benefited his character overall. That's the best change to come out of film three. The subplot between Davy Jones and the sea goddess was a great idea, executed poorly. Norrington was also wasted like a little bitch. I would have much rather seen Will becoming more of a pirate and moore treacherous, and Elizabeth, wondering if she could trust him anymore, begin to fall for Norrington, who begins to win her trust over Will. Thus, the more Jack-ish Will would have a rival in Norrington, something set up in the first two films and completely destroyed in film three. I would also have had Will become the King of the Pirates. I would have had a fight between the Black Pearl and the Kraken in a maelstrom in the middle of a the film, ending with the Pearl shipwrecked on an island, and the Kraken's dying body washed up there as well due to the maelstrom. Then Will would enter the Kraken and find the item for the Brethren Court on Jack's dead body, with Jack's ghost there to comment on it.

The Brethren Court was a great idea, and I liked all of the Pirate Lords that were put in the film, but I don't think the film needed a huge battle between them all and the army all at once. I don't agree with that. I would have had Chow Yun Fat's character live, only to be betrayed and killed by Will later when Will betrays the pirates to work for the British in order to gain his father's freedom from the Dutchman. Make sense so far? Anyway, enough talking about what I would have done. I still liked the movie well enough. The plot was insanely weak, and it's the weakest of the four films (there's no way I believe OST will be weaker than AWE), but overall, I still liked it a lot. I would have had Will still become the next Davy Jones; but also as the Pirate King. The only reason they are continuing these films is because Jack is still alive, therefore they've sort of forced themselves into this corner. Whereas, if they had written the third movie the way I outlined, there would have never been a need for a fourth movie. I'm not complaining about more Pirates, exactly, but I wonder which direction will serve the series more.

The music in AWE is the best part of the film. It is incredible; I already said that. Not since Morricone have I heard such amazing, sweeping, perfect music out of a film. Zimmer would be a fool not to reuse some of it in the rest of the series. The third film did have a lot of good scenes I really loved. The opening was great, the Leone style showdown on the beach was great, and overall it was a well made movie out of a poorly written script. Oh, I also would have had Barbossa and Davy Jones become rivals if I had written it. Either way, I saw a lot of missed opportunities and the third film is the only reason the second is weakened in any way.

What about your thoughts?

[Rather Dashing]

I'm a fan of the book.

I don't plan to see the film.

[Hayden]

Well, 'At World's End' is probably the film that I can comment on the least out of the three, as it's the one I've viewed the fewest number of times. But I agree with you that the plot wasn't great, and it ultimately let the whole film down. Of course, I still really liked 'At World's End', and felt that it did almost everything right... apart from the plot. The effects were amazing, the battle scenes were well done and entertaining, the acting was good, the locations were the best in the series - it should have been absolutely epic... but it wasn't; the plot being the problem.

Because the things that made the first two films so great and so engaging was the fact that they were well thought-out, and their respective plots and storylines had depth and substance to them. This ultimately made the action sequences so much more exciting, because the action and battles we were viewing onscreen would affect the course of events; would have a bearing on what was to come in the story. The action scenes in 'At World's End' were more amazing, visually, but they were nowhere near as exciting as the action scenes in the first two films, and this was because (as we've mentioned) the plot was weak, and paper thin.

And this probably comes as a result from the team trying to create something of epic proportions, using their incredible budget on making things look amazing, but not focusing on the one thing that made the first two films brilliant - the excitement, the engagement, and the immersion, which all were spawned from the plot.

I like what your ideas are for the movie's plotline; that would have been a much better alternative. Those events would have given way to a much stronger plot, and probably would have actually created some memorable moments that would actually stick in the audience's head. Because, in all honesty, since it's been a while since I last viewed 'At World's End', I can't actually remember much as all about the film. I sure as hell didn't remember much about it after my first viewing - it was a big blur of men in wigs, hundreds of ships, dark clouds and stormy weather, lots of crabs, Keith Richards and Singaporeans. Whereas, with 'Dead Man's Chest', I could recount the major plot elements, the basic storyline, and the action was more memorable as a result.

At least 'On Stranger Tides' appears to be a return to form, or at least it should be. There's just one things that the plot is centered around here - multiple parties in search of the fountain of youth. This is good - this means that the scriptwriters can focus on that; focus on cultivating this single storyline; make this one thing complex and exciting, as opposed to stretching themselves thin over a number of storylines and too many plot elements (like in 'AWE'). Also, I hear that they had a pretty big budget cut this time around, which is great! It means that they can't go crazy this time, and their focus will remain on making a good film, not making a visually impressive film. These are other reasons why I think that 'OST' will be a return to form. I'm expecting it to be at about the same level as 'Dead Man's Chest', and should have a lot of similar elements.

Sorry if I talked in circles in this post, by the way :D. I can get repetitive sometimes.

[Irishmile]

I was so pleased when they announced that Ian McShane was going to be Blackbeard... Ian is awesome.

[Secret Fawful]

@Hayden:

I have to say I pretty much agree with everything you said, and you weren't repetitive about it at all. Also, Rather Dashing reminded me I need to buy the book soon and read it.

Here are a couple links to the book On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers for anyone interested in purchasing it:

http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers/dp/1930235321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300891182&sr=8-1
Better cover, but more expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers/dp/0062101072/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1300891182&sr=8-2
Boring cover, but less expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Pirates-Caribbean-Stranger-Bruckheimer/dp/1423139461/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300891182&sr=8-3
Also, here is a link to a pre-order for the book containing the artwork for the film, since you mentioned being interested in that.

[Irishmile]

The book is great... I would suggest it to anyone if you are a fan of either Monkey Island OR PoTC.... the themes fit well withing both worlds for obvious reasons.

I also like the cover of my book its a really old paperback.
here are some used copies from amazon for a little less money
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0441626866/ref=sr_1_6_up_1_main_olp?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300892265&sr=1-6&condition=used

http://moviechopshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/OnStrangerTides.jpg

[corruptbiggins]

I was so pleased when they announced that Ian McShane was going to be Blackbeard... Ian is awesome.

He will always be Lovejoy to me which makes it a little amusing when he's in a big film or tv series.

[DAISHI]

The more heavily the movies focused on Jack the more I felt they were one trick ponies resting heavily on a gimmicky performance. Now they've gone full monty and put all their cards on him, and I have my doubts about the quality.

[StarEye]

I love Jack Sparrow, screw the haters. I also loved the first trilogy, not every movie as much, but I still loved them. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean will probably be the frist game in the LEGO series I buy for myself and my wife.

I'm curious how faithful to the book it will be though, and I wonder if I should buy and read the book before or after the film.

[Vainamoinen]

http://moviechopshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/OnStrangerTides.jpg

Ah! The fabled James Gurney cover! Oh how I tried to get this hardcover edition, to no avail.

I'm a bit torn concerning PotC 4. But I think that I will be fully able to watch the movie with no preset notions about how good or bad it will be, but watch it as "just" an adventure movie with one of my favourite characters in it.

My special interest is the concept art, however. Even if the movie happens to suck, I will still have a great time with the artbook. The monstrosity that was the previous art book (http://parkablogs.com/content/book-review-art-of-pirates-of-caribbean) is one of my most prized possessions (now available for almost nothing (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423103181?tag=kvc-20&link_code=as3&creative=373489&camp=211189)).

[Scnew]

I loved the first movie--really loath the other two. In the first film, the pirates were pirates. The British navy were antagonists in that they were after Jack, but you didn't feel like they were evil or anything.

In the sequels, being a pirate was all of a sudden a good thing, so much so that Will and Elizabeth were suddenly all piratey. And on the opposite side, the British navy was suddenly totally evil--aren't pirates supposed to be bad guys? Isn't that their appeal? The first movie seemed to take place more or less in a realistic world, just with curses. Then all of a sudden the sequels have sea goddesses, Davy Jones, krakens, coming back from the dead, and worst of all "pirate lords." Suddenly being a pirate meant you were a freedom fighter against the evil forces of civilization... yuck.

Anyway, I might still see this because Jack Sparrow is still endlessly entertaining to watch. He's really the only part of two and three that I enjoyed.

[Irishmile]

Ah! The fabled James Gurney cover! Oh how I tried to get this hardcover edition, to no avail.

I'm a bit torn concerning PotC 4. But I think that I will be fully able to watch the movie with no preset notions about how good or bad it will be, but watch it as "just" an adventure movie with one of my favourite characters in it.

My special interest is the concept art, however. Even if the movie happens to suck, I will still have a great time with the artbook. The monstrosity that was the previous art book (http://parkablogs.com/content/book-review-art-of-pirates-of-caribbean) is one of my most prized possessions (now available for almost nothing (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423103181?tag=kvc-20&link_code=as3&creative=373489&camp=211189)).


NICE!!!! I totally just bought that book thanks for the share...

The only thing that ticks me off is that now that book can never be a movie with its original characters intact. .... But it wasn't ever going to happen like that anyway.

[coolguy721]

heres my rundown on this series

the first one : pretty good
Second one: erm ok....not as good..not that bad...
Third one: wtf is this crap?

this one actually looks better then the past three. I am really glad they aren't going to have orlando bloom or keira knightly again.

[Irishmile]

Yeah I am actually glad they do not have Will and Elizabeth forced in... their story is over... Jack was kind of the only character who is not tied down and can still have a crazy journey.

[Martin McFly]

I noticed that as the films progressed, the story began focusing more on Will and Elizabeth's transition into the realm of pirates. In the first film, they both disliked pirates and had no desire to have anything to do with them. By the end of the third, they both have finally embraced the pirate lifestyle.

While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it drew away from Jack Sparrow's character. He is truly the driving force behind the films and it's nice to finally see him return to the spot light.

[SHODANFreeman]

Elizabeth always found pirates interesting from when she was a young girl. She didn't dislike them at all.

[Hayden]

The music in AWE is the best part of the film. It is incredible; I already said that. Not since Morricone have I heard such amazing, sweeping, perfect music out of a film. Zimmer would be a fool not to reuse some of it in the rest of the series.
Thank you for mentioning this. I couldn't recall what any of the music from the third film sounded like. I sampled some pieces a couple of nights ago. It's very impressive! As a result, I actually put in an order for the soundtrack on Amazon last night. Which is quite unusual for me, since my music collection mostly consists of rock & metal.

It was "Singapore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z02nJuBi3Y)" that really caught me - very atmospheric, powerful stuff.

I'm a fan of the book.

I don't plan to see the film.
Is this for any particular reason? Were you not a fan of the the previous three films? Or are you concerned about the film adaptation ruining how you envision/picture things in the book? Because I doubt that this is going to share too much in common with the book.

I noticed that as the films progressed, the story began focusing more on Will and Elizabeth's transition into the realm of pirates. In the first film, they both disliked pirates and had no desire to have anything to do with them. By the end of the third, they both have finally embraced the pirate lifestyle.

While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it drew away from Jack Sparrow's character. He is truly the driving force behind the films and it's nice to finally see him return to the spot light.
The more heavily the movies focused on Jack the more I felt they were one trick ponies resting heavily on a gimmicky performance. Now they've gone full monty and put all their cards on him, and I have my doubts about the quality.

I just thought I'd point out this contradiction. I wonder what's caused these vastly different perspectives.

[Secret Fawful]

Thank you for mentioning this. I couldn't recall what any of the music from the third film sounded like. I sampled some pieces a couple of nights ago. It's very impressive! As a result, I actually put in an order for the soundtrack on Amazon last night. Which is quite unusual for me, since my music collection mostly consists of rock & metal.

It was "Singapore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z02nJuBi3Y)" that really caught me - very atmospheric, powerful stuff.

My personal favorite from the soundtrack is One Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suOmiBXmJOA). It has the best of every theme I love in the soundtrack. My mom, also a huge fan of the series, also loves the soundtrack a great deal, but mostly because the hanging scene in the third film is her favorite scene in the trilogy for it's music. It's not shabby, but as far as vocals, although it's one of the cheesiest scenes in the third film, I really loved the lyrics combined with the music at the end of What Shall We Die For (http://youtu.be/hbX6RfAhfag), and of course, since I have a huge hard-on for Ennio Morricone, I loved the homage to his shapghetti western soundtracks and specifically Once Upon A Time in the West in the song Parlay (http://youtu.be/tzsqAjJnMdA). Like I said countless times in this topic, if Zimmer doesn't make re-use of some of this material in what could be a better film, I would be sorely disappointed.

[mgrant]

I can summarize my feelings for the upcoming Pirates movie thusly:

-Love the book, On Stranger Tides.

- Hated Dead Man's Chest (too many dangling plot threads) and At World's End (Wasted potential in the highest order), but loved Curse of the Black Pearl

- On Stranger Tides seems to be getting back to basics, it dropped the Will and Elizabeth millstone around its neck and is incorporating elements of the best Pirate novel in existence. I'm cautiously optimistic.

[DAISHI]

Thank you for mentioning this. I couldn't recall what any of the music from the third film sounded like. I sampled some pieces a couple of nights ago. It's very impressive! As a result, I actually put in an order for the soundtrack on Amazon last night. Which is quite unusual for me, since my music collection mostly consists of rock & metal.

It was "Singapore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z02nJuBi3Y)" that really caught me - very atmospheric, powerful stuff.


Is this for any particular reason? Were you not a fan of the the previous three films? Or are you concerned about the film adaptation ruining how you envision/picture things in the book? Because I doubt that this is going to share too much in common with the book.




I just thought I'd point out this contradiction. I wonder what's caused these vastly different perspectives.

Jack Sparrow is a walking parody not worthy of more screen time. Eh.

[SHODANFreeman]

Jack Sparrow is a walking parody not worthy of more screen time. Eh.

Take it back.

[DAISHI]

Sir, in good conscience, I cannot.

This does not mean I do not like the movies :P

[Secret Fawful]

Jack Sparrow is one of the few walking parodies that is worthy of more screen time.

[SHODANFreeman]

sir, in good conscience, i cannot.

This does not mean i do not like the movies :p

999,861

[Irishmile]

I was running around town today and on a whim bought the movies on Blu-ray... the 7 disc box set comes with a voucher to print off a movie ticket.. but the theaters never seem to take those anyway... Have not messed around with it too much.. but the first thing I watched was a deleted scene where Jack walks from the captains quarters, through the crew chambers and down into a few of the cargo holds... its kind of cool because we do not get to see the inside of the ship all that much previously.

[TomPravetz]

This... Movie... Must... Be... GOOD! (OrIMayDie)

[Junaid]

I was running around town today and on a whim bought the movies on Blu-ray... the 7 disc box set comes with a voucher to print off a movie ticket.. but the theaters never seem to take those anyway... Have not messed around with it too much.. but the first thing I watched was a deleted scene where Jack walks from the captains quarters, through the crew chambers and down into a few of the cargo holds... its kind of cool because we do not get to see the inside of the ship all that much previously.

I can't wait to see those deleted scenes. They're still not on YouTube and it looks like the box set won't be coming out in Europe anytime soon so it may take I while...

[Hayden]

Alright, a lot's been coming out about this film, so I thought I'd resurrect this thread and post some of the new sneak peeks that have been released over the past week.

Palace Escape Clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l-uW1iz9wo) - a fifty-second excerpt from the film, where Jack Sparrow makes one of his fortunate and daring escapes. It involves a chandelier.
"Live Forever" TV Spot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd8jVCpumqA) - Just another standard 30-second trailer, but with some previously unseen content scattered throughout it.
"Die Trying" TV Spot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzx5z7VPmo4&feature=relmfu) - Same case as above, but with different unseen stuff.
"First Day of Filming" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWrCvlsjzTk) - The crew drags a bunch of cameras to a beach somewhere.
Jack and Angelica (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4YqC2qtrXg) - Bruckheimer, Depp, Cruz, Rush and Marshall discuss the character of Angelica, and her connection and relationship with Jack.
"On Stranger Tides Revealed" - Pod #1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEK_8qYTM3A&feature=relmfu) -This was apparently released in March, though I've only just stumbled upon it now. It's sort of just a mash-up of old trailers, with some new content, and some snippets of information from Marshall and Bruckheimer.
"From Disneyland to the Big Screen" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB_WP4fwGow&feature=relmfu) - A little 2-minute video showing how the Disneyland ride has evolved into this huge franchise. The video is presented by Geoffry Rush/Barbossa, and features a lot of video showing the filming process.

Or you could just watch all of the new videos here (http://www.youtube.com/user/disneypirates). But hey, it doesn't hurt for me to go the stupid hard way and instead link to every individual video and provide and explanation of each of them.

[DAISHI]

I say craps to a franchise that lost its soul!

[Secret Fawful]

Except it hasn't. Also there are three more clips-

Blackbeard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4zKy0uem4k&feature=related)
King's Men (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdrH_0VRa1E&feature=related)
Wet Again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m21tXgcBFT0)

[Icedhope]

Even more stoked!

The movie is about Pirates; Action, ADVENTURE! All the things we loved as kids it shouldn't be about the Story, the characters it should be about the fun we had watching it, and seeing those clips. I have the highest expectations for this movie.

[DAISHI]

I just truly dislike Jack Sparrow. The more screen time he got, the less I appreciated the movie.

[Secret Fawful]

New Featurette ((new shots)) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbrBleljfpQ)

It spoils a few scenes not shown so far, so it depends on how much you want to spoil of the movie. Also, outside of Star Trek or some horror franchises, I can't think of another franchise that has survived four sequels, or might actually have a good fourth film. Well, okay, there was Die Hard and Indiana Jones and Rambo and Rocky and...yeah okay, maybe not that big of a feat now, but Pirates surviving that long is kind of cool to me.

[DAISHI]

Fortunately Pirates isn't being written by people who went completely insane after the third installment.

[Junaid]

Can't wait! I love all previous three movies so I bought a ticket to a gigantic Pirates marathon.

[techie775]

I might eventually go see this at the discounted theatres some day. Alot of movies fizzle by the time they get to their 4th story (I'm looking at you Shrek 4) but this might have a chance cause it's focusing more on Jack and New characters. I don't see the point of adding Elizabeth and Will seeing how their story ended in the 3rd one at the very end after the credits.

[Hayden]

Wet Again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m21tXgcBFT0)
Ah, so that's what caused the scream :).

I might eventually go see this at the discounted theatres some day. Alot of movies fizzle by the time they get to their 4th story (I'm looking at you Shrek 4) but this might have a chance cause it's focusing more on Jack and New characters. I don't see the point of adding Elizabeth and Will seeing how their story ended in the 3rd one at the very end after the credits.

Also, as has been said, this film is going to be the first installment of a planned trilogy of new films, which gives the audience reason to believe that the writers, crew, etc. actually have a bag of quality ideas. For me personally, that killed off any thought of 'On Stranger Tides' being a desperate attempt to milk whatever the franchise had left to offer.

And, of course, as you've hinted at, they probably wouldn't be introducing new characters or going in a new direction if they planning on doing this just for the money.

[Darth Marsden]

...wait, so does that mean we may get a second Lego PotC game at some point in the future? Hey, I'm all for that!

Also, I thought they were going in a new direction because of the negative response At World's End got. But hey ho. As long as it doesn't suck, I'm all for it.

[Hayden]

Also, I thought they were going in a new direction because of the negative response At World's End got. But hey ho. As long as it doesn't suck, I'm all for it.

I don't think they had much of a choice when it came to going in a new direction, thanks to how huge the budget cut (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean:_On_Stranger_Tides#Filmin g) was. Whether it worked in their favor or not, I'm not sure. Hopefully it did benefit them; it might have shifted their focus away from the whole CGI/special effects/visual spectacle thing, and more towards the storytelling side of things. That's my hope, anyway.

[Irishmile]

having the Tim Powers book as a guide can not hurt the movie either.

[coolguy721]

the first one was great because it wasn't as fast paced and jack wasn't only in the movie for comedic reasons

[Irishmile]

Ian McShane must always play bad guys he is SOOO good at it... When I die I want to come back as Al Swearengen.

[DAISHI]

It was okay. Seemed to parody its own jokes a lot.

[Icedhope]

The movie was awesome and it didn't disappoint me. I was happy.

[Irishmile]

I am taking the family today.. I hope its great and I hope it does well.. my fear is that its success will be a litmus test for people judging the possible general interest in pirate themed entertainment... I.E. More Monkey Island.

[DrRocketGenius]

The movie was awesome and it didn't disappoint me. I was happy.

Great to know. Going tomorrow to see it in IMAX 3D.

[Hayden]

I just saw it then, in 2D. I loved it; absolutely loved it. I went into it with a positive mindset, but had the lingering feeling that I might have to 'force myself' to enjoy it. Luckily this wasn't the case; it was genuinely enjoyable, to the degree that the "am I enjoying this?" thought completely left my mind.

I consider it on par with the first two films, and above 'At World's End'. I consider it a definite return to form.

[Irishmile]

YAY!... I have not watched it yet.. but I totally respect Icedhope's, and Hayden's judgment on the matter.

[Secret Fawful]

Seeing it today with my mom, who is also a massive Pirates fan. I just wish my Dad wasn't working so he could go with us, as he's the one who first went with me to see Pirates 1 so many years ago. That movie was so good, that we were blown away and Pirates has since become family tradition.

[Martin McFly]

I'm seeing it today as well. I wasn't so sure about the film given its current rating on Rotten Tomatoes but all the positive reviews from audience members (IcedHope & Hayden) have really got me revved up.

[Hayden]

I'm seeing it today as well. I wasn't so sure about the film given its current rating on Rotten Tomatoes but all the positive reviews from audience members (IcedHope & Hayden) have really got me revved up.

Good, stay that way; you'll enjoy the movie more :)! And yeah, Rotten Tomatoes was originally what gave me my slight misgivings too, but as I've said, there was no need for me to worry at all.

[waroftheworlds01]

I saw it at midnight. It was really good. It started out a bit slow but once they got into the whole race to the fountain of youth story it got better. Black Beard was really cool and is perhaps the best Pirates Villian of the four films.

[Alcoremortis]

I really want to see this, but I'll probably have to wait until next week because I have been booked straight through the weekend by my parents. Oh well, I waited years for this movie, I suppose I can wait a little longer.

[DAISHI]

I just saw it then, in 2D. I loved it; absolutely loved it. I went into it with a positive mindset, but had the lingering feeling that I might have to 'force myself' to enjoy it. Luckily this wasn't the case; it was genuinely enjoyable, to the degree that the "am I enjoying this?" thought completely left my mind.

I consider it on par with the first two films, and above 'At World's End'. I consider it a definite return to form.

I'd put Dead Man's Chest above it. It's at least as good as At World's End, but probably a little bit better since it wasn't as ridiculous.

[Irishmile]

Well.... I really liked it but its tied with worlds end as my least favorite... The biggest thing it lacked was really memorable supporting characters.. all the leads were great though.

[DAISHI]

Well.... I really liked it but its tied with worlds end as my least favorite... The biggest thing it lacked was really memorable supporting characters.. all the leads were great though.

Yeah. It's all Captain Jack weirdness and nothing far beyond that. The mermaid subplot is subpar at best and the characters never truly fleshed out.

[Irishmile]

Yeah... Jack seemed REALLY off character... until the end. :D I DO hope they make it another trilogy if only to flesh out the newer characters more.

Also the only thing they seemed to use from the Tim Powers book was the title, the fountain and Blackbeard... and the title is the only thing that they had to "pay" for... because both the fountain and Blackbeard are not protected by a copyright.

It is sort of sad because just because they wanted to loot the title we will probably NEVER see an actual adaptation of Tim Powers excellent novel.

But I did really REALLY like the movie I want that to be clear.. I am just talking about the things I think they could have improved.

[SHODANFreeman]

I was wondering what became of the dude that ran off with the mermaid. I assumed she devoured him. :p

[Irishmile]

I was wondering what became of the dude that ran off with the mermaid. I assumed she devoured him. :p

that is exactly what my wife was wondering when we left the theater.. I guess we will see IF they make another one.. I hope they can talk some of the old minor cast into coming back and have them come out of the bottle with the ship. If not they better make their current cast stand out a little more.

[Hayden]

I was wondering what became of the dude that ran off with the mermaid. I assumed she devoured him. :p

That's exactly what I was thinking. I'd really like to know, actually. I was hoping they'd show us what happened in a clip after the credits, but we got something else instead.

Oh yeah, if you're in no rush to leave the cinema, then stick around, because the clip after the credits is a nice little bonus.

that is exactly what my wife was wondering when we left the theater.. I guess we will see IF they make another one..

The script's already written for number five, and number 4 has been successful as hell; I think it's a safe bet we'll see another one.

[Martin McFly]

I really enjoyed the movie. The leads all did a great job of holding the movie and the various locations kept my interest. As someone else mentioned, it did start a little slow but it quickly sped up once the race to the Fountain of Youth began. I did find myself missing some of the supporting characters from the previous three films during the film and I'm still hoping that some might make an appearance in the fifth or sixth.

Phillip and Syrena failed to leave an impression on me. Perhaps it was the fact that he came off as a poor man's Will Turner or maybe it was because they didn't play a big enough role in the film to make me focus on their characterizations. While they did grow on me during the course of the movie, I wasn't particularly interested in their relationship but that doesn't stop me from wondering as to what happened with the two of them at the end. But nobody went to the movie for them, they went for Captain Jack Sparrow.

Johnny Depp did a fine job and he looks like he's having fun with the role. On that same note, I didn't find Cruz and Depp to have much chemistry. Maybe it's just me but I didn't really believe him at the end when he mentioned that he's always loved her. From all the squabbling and mixed signals, I wasn't expecting such a bold statement. I did recognize some hints of affection but most of the time, they were just bickering..

Overall, I'd rank it above At World's End but below Dead Man's Chest. A very fun and entertaining movie to kick off the summer. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually looking forward to the fifth.

[SHODANFreeman]

he mentioned that he's always loved her. From all the squabbling and mixed signals, I wasn't expecting such a bold statement. I did recognize some hints of affection but most of the time, they were just bickering.

I took that part to mean that Jack had always loved himself, too. "I've always loved you" "Me too" :p

[Secret Fawful]

The most interesting, and greatest aspect of the story wasn't the Fountain of Youth but was the prophecy of the One-Legged Man and Blackbeard's fear of it, which I thought was too underplayed and should have been the driving force of the entire film. Blackbeard was chilling when he killed his own man, but he should have been more chilling, so that when he was afraid, that made the One-Legged Man tale so much more potent. The scene when they're all at the Fountain and Barbossa appears in the shadows behind them all...something about how he was in shadow and you knew what was coming was so chilling and kind of eerie. I loved that. Best thing about the entire movie. Should have been biggest priority in the whole plot. It was the most genuine spark of good writing int he entire film, and the fact that Barbossa was going through all of the king's men stuff just for revenge was more like Jack's role in the first film, and was the most interesting thing for me.

The second best thing was Blackbeard's death, which put the death scene for the villain in Indy 4 to shame, and was wonderfully gory and I was impressed they had the balls to do it like that. I was also impressed they had the balls to show Syrena semi-nude so much. I was like...huh...they're going to show that much tit in a PG-13 movie eh? Well, shrug, okay. It's unusual in America for a blockbuster to do this.

The best new character was Scrum. I loved Scrum. And the boy in Blackbeard's crew, just because it reminded me of Treasure Island. Jack was used great sometimes and badly others. Angelica was not bad. The missionary was worthless. The mermaids were kind of cool. The music was great. There were plotholes, especially that gravity defying water. If it defies gravity how the hell did it get onto some leaves!? The Spanish and their goal was one of the best surprises of the film. The ending with Jack, Angelica, and Blackbeard and the poison was ripped straight from The Last Crusade. The action wasn't as lame as people have said, but the entirety of the London scenes were awful, horrid, and terrible, except for MAYBE after Jack is done talking to his Dad. That might be where things take off, but before that I WAS HATING IT.

Saw it in a horrid theater, so I have to rewatch it on DVD someday to find my bearings and rate it.

Oh, yeah, and the zombies were worthless and stupid and I hated them and wish they weren't even there. The voodoo aspect was so underused I could vomit.

[DAISHI]

The most underused element of the entire plot was the hatred between the Catholics and the Protestants as exhibited in the Spanish and English. Here you have this lynchpin of the film, the entire motivation behind why the Spanish are seeking to get to the Fountain, you have these minor allusions to Papists... And nothing! They go out of their way to portray the British West Indies and the role of the trading company in 2/3 but do little with the Catholic church as an antagonist to English ambitions in the New World. A whole politically intriguing plotline boiled down to a stereotypical "Senorita" !

[Secret Fawful]

That was rather terrible, as was the fountain itself. I was just like...oh....it's just a fountain. Well then.

[Irishmile]

The Queen Anne's Revenge was seriously awesome... that ship was ten times cooler than the Pearl or the Dutchmen... They talked about how the Pearl was terrifying in the first film.. but really QAR was more intimidating to me... I REALLY wanted to see inside the captains quarters though that window looked really interesting on the outside.. its a shame we didn't get to see the reverse.

[Martin McFly]

I took that part to mean that Jack had always loved himself, too. "I've always loved you" "Me too" :p

That's an interesting way to look at it. I'm actually relieved that they didn't actually kiss. I really thought they were going to push Angelica as Jack's love interest right until the end where they would share a passionate kiss. I'm glad they instead have an almost-kiss; it stays more consistent with Jack's personality.

No doubt I'll be seeing again with friends/family so I'll be able to see that scene again but reflecting back on it, I think you may be right.

[Alcoremortis]

Spoiler tags....must resist...urge to... click

[vehemt]

This movie was what I was expecting the first movie was supposed to be. Ugh. Hope the series can recover. I think there's supposed to be at least one more.

[DrRocketGenius]

Saw it today. It was good. Really, really good. Just as good as the Black Pearl as far as I'm concerned. It also had the best 3D effects I've ever seen.

[Irishmile]

Saw it today. It was good. Really, really good. Just as good as the Black Pearl as far as I'm concerned. It also had the best 3D effects I've ever seen.

That is a pretty good compliment because it was shot in 2D and made 3D after.

[SunnyGuy]

I read otherwise
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=66113

Anyways, saw the movie today and liked it overall. It wasn't as good as the original but it was still ok.

[Irishmile]

hmm I think you're right maybe I was thinking of Thor or something.

[Icedhope]

I was talking to my my friend who I went and saw the movie. I think it does a pretty good job of being enteraining the whole thing..I wanted out of it was to play more off of The Barbossa Black Beard plot. Probably showing Blackbeard being a bit more sinister. I also would have like to have had Ragetti and Pintel and I'm hoping they appear in the next film. Along with Cotton and Marty. I thought it was better made than Dead man's and At Worlds end. It also felt more like a direct sequel to the first.

[Irishmile]

Yeah those are the secondary characters I missed the most too... but for sure mackenzie crook has said he has no intention on coming back so I do not think we will be seeing him....

I would even take mulroy and murtogg seeing as they seemed to have converted to piracy at the end of the last trilogy... That is really my biggest complaint and I am starting to sound like a broken record but they NEED to add some character actors in this thing.... That was something the writers really talked about in the last trilogy how they had all these great character actors to fill the second and third string cast.. it really make you like and want to get to know ALL the characters.

[SunnyGuy]

Secondary characters in this movie were way weaker than the original trilogy. By far. The only one I honestly kinda cared about was the mermaid and that's only because I thought she was cute >.>

[SHODANFreeman]

Saw it today. It was good. Really, really good. Just as good as the Black Pearl as far as I'm concerned. It also had the best 3D effects I've ever seen.

That's like saying it was the best smelling hog feces you'd ever smelled.

[Secret Fawful]

That's like saying it was the best smelling hog feces you'd ever smelled.

No.

[GuruGuru214]

Found out today that my best friend is refusing to go see the movie because she thinks it's going to be stupid, for no reason other than that she's painfully cynical. So since I'm not going to go see it alone, I either have to drag my family to the movies or wait for the DVD release.

[SHODANFreeman]

No.

If you want 3D, go see a play. The "3D" effect that movies and games attempt to have, at best, makes it look like a shitty popup book, and at worst make it look like a nausea-inducing blob of horse manure.

It does not in any way add anything to the experience, other than a pointless distraction. It doesn't make it feel more "realistic" in any sense, and in fact, simply serves as a near-constant reminder that you aren't really there, because if you were, it certainly would look nothing like that. It would, in fact, look exactly the way it does without the 3D effect. Real life looks like a "2D" movie, nothing looks like a 3D movie.

[Alcoremortis]

I gotta agree. I don't like 3D at all. Mainly because it gives me headaches and is also more expensive.

[DAISHI]

I love 3D but didn't find it any more outstanding in this movie than in others.

[apenpaap]

I went to see the movie yesterday, and it was pretty awesome. Not as good as the other three, though, as I kind of missed characters like Will and Elizabeth (Not Will and Elizabeth themselves, mind you, there story is clearly finished.). I mean "good" characters among all the Chaotic Neutral pirates. There was that preacher dude, of course, but I found him very annoying and bland.
Aside from that, I really liked the movie. I'd give it about 14 points out of 25.

[StarEye]

Me and wifey watched it last night. Not in 3D, we had free tickets but they only covered "ordinary" showings. Kinda glad I didn't get 3D though, since I've never watched a 3D movie yet, and if I get a headache, I'd rather the movie wasn't over 2 hours long.

The movie itself was good. It's good to have a standalone film again, and not one that relies on a prequel or sequel. Not overly impressed with the supportive cast, as many of them have pointed out. I think the the King (in the beginning of the film) was waaaay too much of a silly parody, and was just embarrassing to watch.

I honestly think this series tend to suffer from the same thing Monkey Island sometimes do. They sometimes makes the characters too cartoon-like. They cross the line from good old over-the-top action to just plain silly. Kinda like how the refrigerator scene in Indy 4 was. Over-the-top is good. Silly is just bad.

Also, I think Jack is getting a bit too much a super-hero status, in the way he's basically untouchable when fighting with many, but when he's fighting with only one, he seem to struggle. :D

[DrRocketGenius]

As for why the 3D effect was the best I've seen, there were a lot of close-ups where you could clearly see the depth and a quite a few epic shots that looked really good. I know that sounds lame but I thought it worked really well.

That's like saying it was the best smelling hog feces you'd ever smelled.

...really? Because I'm pretty sure there's a bit of a difference.

[Martin McFly]

As for why the 3D effect was the best I've seen, there were a lot of close-ups where you could clearly see the depth and a quite a few epic shots that looked really good. I know that sounds lame but I thought it worked really well.

Well, it WAS better than Thor's. I did enjoy the 3D effect with the snake. The sword effects weren't nothing to sneeze at either.

[DrRocketGenius]

Well, it WAS better than Thor's. I did enjoy the 3D effect with the snake. The sword effects weren't nothing to sneeze at either.

I thought the skeleton hand worked really well also, even though I'm usually against effects that reach out for you.

[Martin McFly]

I thought the skeleton hand worked really well also, even though I'm usually against effects that reach out for you.

I really liked that effect as well. The effects in the movie were definitely superior to recent 3D films that I've seen. They weren't overly distracting from the movie and they were well placed.

[Hayden]

Just out of interest, were there any significant 3D effects when the monkey would scream at the screen (from within the bottle)?

[Martin McFly]

Just out of interest, were there any significant 3D effects when the monkey would scream at the screen (from within the bottle)?

First time, yes. Second time, not as noticeable.

[Irishmile]

I too thought the 3D was not used as a gimmick.. Things popped where you would want them to.

As for the 3D vs 2D debate it really is just a matter of opinion... There really is no right answer... just opinion.

[Rather Dashing]

Was dragged to it, had my ticket bought for me.

It was good at the things that the Pirates sequels are good at, it was bad at the things Pirates sequels are bad at. That is, it had massive, impressive sets, a fantastic musical score, huge action sequences, neat supernatural CGI imagery, great characterization, amusing dialog. It also had only a skeleton of a plot from which Jack Sparrow could hang and do cool shit. Seriously, the amount of times he gets "captured just so he can perform a daring escape?

People say the side characters proved uninteresting, but I don't think that was the issue at all. Rather, I feel that Jack Sparrow Does Stuff, The Movie intrudes so much on the other elements that there is literally not enough room in the movie for the other, quite interesting side characters to breathe. It has been a problem with the franchise since the second film, and Jack has become only more of a camera-hog than ever in this installment.

[Secret Fawful]

People say the side characters proved uninteresting, but I don't think that was the issue at all. Rather, I feel that Jack Sparrow Does Stuff, The Movie intrudes so much on the other elements that there is literally not enough room in the movie for the other, quite interesting side characters to breathe. It has been a problem with the franchise since the second film, and Jack has become only more of a camera-hog than ever in this installment.

You stole this phrase from me, you thief. You..you pirate.

[SHODANFreeman]

As for the 3D vs 2D debate it really is just a matter of opinion... There really is no right answer... just opinion.

It is a fact that "3D" does not look anything like reality, though, and exists solely to make you go "OMG" when something randomly pokes at you from the screen, confusing your eyes with a strange illusion that doesn't resemble anything you'd see in anything other than "3D".

Also, I hate every second of the "whoooooooooaaaaa threeeeeeeeeee deeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!" moments. I can't stand it when they randomly film things jabbing at the screen simply because they want their dumb little gimmicky effect to make people giggle like schoolchildren.

[Rather Dashing]

You stole this phrase from me, you thief. You..you pirate.
Just don't throw me in with the politicals. I'm an honest thief.

[Ash735]

It's a decent Pirate film to pass time, not bogged down by larger plots, but does have some awkward shoved in moments like the copy/paste Will Turner and Mermaid lover plot?? Also, if you've read "On Stranger Tides", don't worry, this film only uses like three pages of material out of the whole book! Seriously, I was really looking for any subtle reference to the book, but nope, pretty much just the basic outline, Blackbeard and what have you. The voodoo part of the story is reduced to barely one scene and a bit, though it was cool to spot that slight one reference of the hand gestures that's mentioned in the book.

[Alcoremortis]

Just don't throw me in with the politicals. I'm an honest thief.

I take it you're finally at Act II?

[Rather Dashing]

I take it you're finally at Act II?
I'm pretty sure I'd already told you I was.

[Alcoremortis]

I'm pretty sure I'd already told you I was.

I don't think you did. But then again, I could be gravely mistaken. In any case, I know now!

[Molokov]

Saw it last night. It was quite enjoyable - not quite as fun or rewatchable as Curse of the Black Pearl, but it was spades better than 2 & 3. I'd have appreciated more humour instead of action, but the action set pieces were pretty good.

Although, to be honest: Barbosa seemed really out of character, and the inclusion of Jack Sparrow Sr was pretty much pointless - just an excuse to put Keith Richards in it again. Ian McShane was good, but he has been a far more commanding personality in many of his other roles (such as in Deadwood & Kings, and even in Coraline, which was voice only!)

[Hayden]

I'd have appreciated more humour instead of action[...]

Strange - I found there to be a higher focus on humour in this movie. That's how I remember it, anyway; I found that the action was pushed to the background somewhat to make way for the humour. But maybe my memory is serving me incorrectly.

Although, to be honest: Barbosa seemed really out of character.

Well, half the time he was sort of meant to be out of character, since he was playing a rather different role to what he has previously.

and the inclusion of Jack Sparrow Sr was pretty much pointless - just an excuse to put Keith Richards in it again.

And for the "Does this face look like it's been to the fountain of youth?" line (and Jack's response), which I thought was classic. I think that that one piece of dialogue alone was worth having him in there.

But also, I felt that he did serve some purpose - he built the early stages of the narrative by giving Jack some vital information, and they needed someone to speak these words through, so why not him?
________________________________________

Onto a different point, I've noticed that a lot of the negative reviews have come from the idea that "the series has run its course" or "we've seen too much of the same" (something I personally don't agree with, myself). This just gets me wondering, how much better would this film have been received were it released after the first film? Would it have been received as well as 'Dead Man's Chest'; perhaps better? Just a thought.

[StarEye]

Well, were it released directly after Curse, then I believe there might have been some reaction regarding the lack of certain characters, like Will Turner and Elisabeth Swan. There would have to be a lot of changes to the story as well, since Barbossa obviously wouldn't have been in it (he was, after all, only brought back at the end of Dead Man's Chest). I think the whole movie would have to be either a prequel, or it would have to be completely rewritten. So it's difficult to say how well it would be received.

That said, I think this movie is no worse or better than any of the others in the series. All of them have fantastic stuff in it, as well as some lowpoints. For example, the beginning of At World's End (with the hanging and the singing and stuff) is perhaps one of the most epic beginnings I've ever seen in a movie, simply brilliant. Of course, that's not the only good part in the movie.

Anyway, the reviews I've read have all said that if you like the series, you will like the new movie. If you've seen the others, you know what to expect. They're basically all just "safe" reviews. One of the reviews started the entire review like this (in norwegian): On Stranger Tides is the second best Pirates of the Caribbean movie - although that doesn't say much. And then gave proceeded to give it a 3/6. It was obvious from the start that he doesn't really like the Pirates movies at all, when he writes something like that in a serious review. And still it gets a 3/6. So either he was just playing it safe by not writing the score he really wanted to give it - or the movie is good enough to warrant a 3/6 from a guy who doesn't even the series.

Either way, reviews mean nothing with a movie like Pirates. It's been an incredible success, and there's no doubt that people haven't tired of the series yet, thus there's no reason to not expect another movie. Hopefully, it won't be so long.

[zounds!]

Just saw it with the family. We all liked it. I personally found it to be my second favorite of the "Pirates" movies (after the first.) At Worlds End was my least favorite, by far. On Stranger Tides was infinitely better than that one. It felt the most "piratey" to out of all of them actually. Less creatures and weird voodoo (but still just enough) The soundtrack was also my favorite out of the whole series. It features the familiar themes of course, but there are new sort of Spanish guitar segments that feel right at home. Also, I'm definitely in the camp of "good riddance to Will and Elizabeth" they were my least favorite aspect of the entire trilogy and thought it would have been better off without them.

On a whole these movies really have never been super great to me, but at least some pretty good entertainment. This one rests comfortably in that area.

[Irishmile]

Yeah I do not miss Will and Elizabeth either... But I did really miss Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, Cotton and his parrot.

[Alcoremortis]

Yeah I do not miss Will and Elizabeth either... But I did really miss Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, Cotton and his parrot.

Their loss is indeed tragic. While I haven't seen the movie yet, I do hope that some of the replacement side characters grow in this and the next one (because there probably will be a next one) to become just as fun.

[Hayden]

The soundtrack was also my favorite out of the whole series. It features the familiar themes of course, but there are new sort of Spanish guitar segments that feel right at home.

Yeah, it certainly was a great soundtrack. You can't thank these two (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_y_Gabriela) for those guitar parts. And I agree that they felt right at home in the mix; I thought they were great. I felt they brought a lot to the music. I hope these guys are called back to contribute on the next soundtrack.

[EvilDeadFan]

Yeah I do not miss Will and Elizabeth either... But I did really miss Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, Cotton and his parrot.

Same, I absolutely loved this movie, then again I love all 4 of them. But yes, either they are all dead, shrunk in the bottle with the ship, Jack the monkey, and Cotton's parrot, or, in normal pirates fashion, they are hiding yet another secret from us, like most of dead man's chest, man, I watched that over again with my family and friends just to find certain hidden clues, good times!

[DAISHI]

Someone once described the Simpsons as having devolved into becoming "Homer Simpson does stuff". That's roughly how I feel about Pirates at this moment. "Jack Sparrow does stuff". Whatever depth it might have had it's tossed out the window.

[StarEye]

I'm not sure that's entirely fair. He is the main character, without Jack Sparrow,there wouldn't be a POTC movie. Not downplayiing the importance of other characters, but the story kinda relies on his quest for whatever it is he's after at the moment (like Indy). It's only natural that he's in the picture a lot. And in the last movie, I think the stuff he does was much better incorporated into the story than usual. We didn't have random scenes where he does stuff randomly, every scene was carrying the story forward and made sense to me.

I think Barbossa suffered more from this, really making a point out of him pretending to be "mannered" and failing miserably. :p

[DAISHI]

I thought the the entire opening scene was just 'Jack Sparrow doing stuff'. It was just a way to make him look fancy pants and goof out of yet another scenario.

[StarEye]

But the opening scene is just a small part of the rest of the movie. Surely not enough to call the entire movie "Jack Sparrow doing stuff". Also, it kinda set up the story. If anything, the charicature of the king was much worse than anything in the entire series, imo. He was just embarressing to watch.

[Darth Marsden]

Just saw it. I thought it was a fun movie, and though there were a few unexplained plot elements, it was still an enjoyable film.

Definitely needed more action though.

[Hayden]

Definitely needed more action though.

Yeah, I think I might actually have to agree with you here. It could have done with a few more exciting, elaborate action sequences. This could perhaps be my one criticism, but I felt that the dialogue and humour more than made up for the lack of action.

But, next time around, I do hope that we see a bit more action - hopefully something as memorable as the giant rolling wheel scene from 'Dead Man's Chest'.

[dumpling321]

I just saw the movie ^_^ I loved it, I like Philip/syrena more then I ever liked will/elizabeth, I hope they come back as protagonists in the 5th and 6th movies because I truly liked the characters...

On a side note, does anyone else have a feeling that theres more healing power in the mermaids tear then in the fountain of youth water, I have a feeling that the fountain isn't really all that necissary...

[StarEye]

Maybe the water in the fountain ARE mermaid tears?

[Rather Dashing]

On a side note, does anyone else have a feeling that theres more healing power in the mermaids tear then in the fountain of youth water, I have a feeling that the fountain isn't really all that necissary...
...No? Why would it? Seems that:

1. Mermaids would kind of know about that sort of thing and our resident mermaid of the group seemed to be quite keen on her tear being used at the end there.
2. There is never any mention of mermaid tears having special powers separate from the fountain itself.
3. The fountain is a big fancy setpiece with weird physics and lots of CGI. Of course it's got strong magic to it, this is a Pirates film, that's how you show a place is magic in a Pirates film.
4. If the tear was the only aspect, then the procedure wouldn't affect the person that drank water that DIDN'T contain a mermaid's tear. Considering Blackbeard died in an obviously magical way, I think we can be pretty damn sure that the whole process works as stated in the story, and you can take the ritual at face value.

[dumpling321]

...No? Why would it? Seems that:

1. Mermaids would kind of know about that sort of thing and our resident mermaid of the group seemed to be quite keen on her tear being used at the end there.
2. There is never any mention of mermaid tears having special powers separate from the fountain itself.
3. The fountain is a big fancy setpiece with weird physics and lots of CGI. Of course it's got strong magic to it, this is a Pirates film, that's how you show a place is magic in a Pirates film.
4. If the tear was the only aspect, then the procedure wouldn't affect the person that drank water that DIDN'T contain a mermaid's tear. Considering Blackbeard died in an obviously magical way, I think we can be pretty damn sure that the whole process works as stated in the story, and you can take the ritual at face value.

But the thing is, We don't know a whole lot about mermaids other then the legends told in the film, the whole fountain chamber could have easily been a ritualistic place that an ancient civilization built to surround the healing properties of a mermaids tear.

can it be proved that the ritual needs anything more then 2 identical challaces, some underground spring water, and a mermaids tear, What makes the challaces or the water so special? Has anyone ever tried to do the ritual with just regular spring water? I doubt anyone would have gone to the trouble... I think that probibly all that is needed is for the person who is getting life to drink the tear dilluted in water, and the other person to drink regular water from the same source...

Just look at how syrena was so adamant that she could save philip, she kissed him to make him breathe underwater, and I'll bet you anything that she swam off to do the ritual in another fashion, in a way that DIDN'T require a sacrifice...

I have a feeling that the ritual seen in the movie is some sort of twisted version of a real ritual that the mermaids have, but that humans couldn't use the simpler form of the ritual and didn't understand it, so they twisted it in a way, contaminating it with the evil of their intention, to a point where a sacrifice is needed...

[Darth Marsden]

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd243/cyberlink420/Motivational%20Posters/AWizardDidIt.jpg?t=1242018520

[Alcoremortis]

Well, I just saw this movie and it was decent, I suppose. Barbossa was definitely the best part, all the way through. He sorta carried the movie for me and, as always, I found him to be the funniest character (albeit in a very subtle way :D).

So yeah, fairly enjoyable. Also, I will have to see about acquiring that soundtrack, as is my wont to do with these things.

[Chyron8472]

I've seen this movie. It's good.

I recommend it.

[Sarendor]

I saw the movie two days ago, and I was extremely glad to see Barbossa again, as he is my favourite character in the series. (I didn't add that tag. I was glad to see it though!) In my opinion, it really felt like a new film that started a new story rather than continue one. It had lots of new backstory too, which is good in my opinion. If it indeed evolves into a new trilogy, I hope the other films are like this one. (although this is probably unlikely.)

[Hayden]

Here's Disney's rumoured shortlist (http://www.craveonline.com/film/articles/168885-who-will-direct-pirates-of-the-caribbean-5) for directors of 'Pirates 5':

Tim Burton
Alfonso Cuaron
Shawn Levy
Rob Marshall
Sam Raimi
Chris Weitz

I'm personally hoping for either Tim Burton, since it would be very interesting to see his take on the franchise, or Alfonso Cuaron, given his amazing resume. However, I would have no problem with Marshall having a second go at directing a Pirates film, because I like what he did with 'On Stranger Tides.'

[der_ketzer]

Am I the only one here who thinks that apart from the soundtracks the sequels in this series are useless?
They could have ended everything after the first movie and I wouldn't miss anything. Except for the great scores by Hans Zimmer for the second and third movie.

[Hayden]

Am I the only one here who thinks that apart from the soundtracks the sequels in this series are useless? They could have ended everything after the first movie and I wouldn't miss anything.

Well, yes, the series COULD have ended after the first film, but I (and many others) got so much enjoyment out of the second, third (yes, even the third) and fourth films that I would hate to not have them around. They might not have had the originality of the first film, and the novelty might have been lost, and some people might say that the sequels fed off and emulated the first film too much, but we still got to witness great action, great humour and great fun from seeing likeable characters thrown into new and exciting situations. If the possibility is there to create sequels that aren't blatant ripoffs of their predecessor(s), and are enjoyed by many, then why not make them?

Except for the great scores by Hans Zimmer for the second and third movie.

Oh, you're not fond of the 'On Stranger Tides' soundtrack? Or you just haven't heard it yet?

[der_ketzer]

Oh, you're not fond of the 'On Stranger Tides' soundtrack? Or you just haven't heard it yet?

have not heard it yet since I don't intend on buying it. It just would look ubly next to this:

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/6153/piratesofthecaribbeanso.jpg

[StarEye]

Here's Disney's rumoured shortlist (http://www.craveonline.com/film/articles/168885-who-will-direct-pirates-of-the-caribbean-5) for directors of 'Pirates 5':

Tim Burton
Alfonso Cuaron
Shawn Levy
Rob Marshall
Sam Raimi
Chris Weitz

I'm personally hoping for either Tim Burton, since it would be very interesting to see his take on the franchise, or Alfonso Cuaron, given his amazing resume. However, I would have no problem with Marshall having a second go at directing a Pirates film, because I like what he did with 'On Stranger Tides.'

Only ones I have any knowledge of are Tim Burton and Sam Raimi. Tim Burton has made great movies, and I think he's quite unique, even if he's tricks are starting to shine through. At least his movies stand out. Him and Johnny Depp work great together, so him being behind the fifth movie wouldn't mind me at all.

I only know Sam Raimi through the Spartacus tv-series, and both of them (Blood and Sand, and Gods of the Arena) are excellent and probably my favourite TV series of all time. The story-telling is actually very good in these, so I wouldn't mind seeing him at the wheel either.

[der_ketzer]

At least his movies stand out.
He is making the same movie again and again to an extend that there are even sketches about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFzLRP8e4vE

[Irishmile]

Oh god .... I would hate Tim Burton as the director... I like a few of his movies but he is not a director you should hire for an established franchise because he usually does not respect the source material's style he will make it his own style that he actually has ripped off from the artist/writer Edward Gory.

Do we really want to see Jack's face painted pure white and his clothes switched to black and white stripes?

[Alcoremortis]

I'm just trying to imagine Pirates in Tim Burton style. I just can't do it. My brain is rebelling against me for even trying.

I like Tim Burton, but his style is completely unsuited to a Pirates film. White make-up does not belong anywhere near the Caribbean.

[Friar]

Just a heads up for UK peeps: Dead Mans chest is currently on iplayer, but is due to expire at 11.20PM tonight, if anyone wants to watch it.

[Irishmile]

I'm just trying to imagine Pirates in Tim Burton style. I just can't do it. My brain is rebelling against me for even trying.

I like Tim Burton, but his style is completely unsuited to a Pirates film. White make-up does not belong anywhere near the Caribbean.

Here I did a quick photoshop for you
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6972/timburtonpirates.jpg

[Secret Fawful]

he will make it his own style that he actually has ripped off from the artist/writer Edward Gory.

This. Tim Burton has no unique style. He's a ripoff hack. Get Sam Raimi or get nobody.

[StarEye]

Edward Scissorhand, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd all are very different to me, apart from the Tim Burton weirdness to them. And even if they WERE the same, there's still no other people (that I know of) that does the stuff that he does, and successfully. That makes his movies stand out.

Besides, if the next movie happened to be a ghost story, his character styles would certain work for the ghosts. It's not like Jack Sparrow or Barbossa or his crew are suddenly going to be white face and wear makeup. Jack is already halfway there with his black makeup around his eyes, I'm sure he'll settle with that.

[Alcoremortis]

Here I did a quick photoshop for you
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6972/timburtonpirates.jpg

Oh Lord.

This needs to go in the Cannot Unsee thread. Immediately. Because I will never be able to look at Pirates of the Caribbean without this image taunting me at the back of my mind.

[doodo!]

Beards and mustache isn't Burton-ish, as far as I an remember, if not having those and looking a little more Edward Scissor hands-ish I'd buy it Irishmile. Awesome photoshop.

[Irishmile]

LOL this has a Howard Pyle vibe to it to even confuse the inspiration a little more
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/156/f/5/tim_burton__s_jack_by_irishmile-d3i5bha.jpg

[Martin McFly]

I'm not sure whether I should be scared of or impressed by the realistic photoshop. I hope Tim Burton doesn't get attached to Pirates 5; we'll end up with some sort of ungodly cross between Alice in Wonderland and Treasure Island.

[doodo!]

Irishmile is good at photoshop. EDIT: Check his deviant art out!

[Irishmile]

Now I actually WOULD love to see Tim Burton take on Treasure Island... that would be wild.

[Chyron8472]

Well, yes, the series COULD have ended after the first film, but I (and many others) got so much enjoyment out of the second, third (yes, even the third) and fourth films that I would hate to not have them around. They might not have had the originality of the first film, and the novelty might have been lost, and some people might say that the sequels fed off and emulated the first film too much, but we still got to witness great action, great humour and great fun from seeing likeable characters thrown into new and exciting situations. If the possibility is there to create sequels that aren't blatant ripoffs of their predecessor(s), and are enjoyed by many, then why not make them?

This. All of this.

[Hayden]

I think everybody's sort of exaggerating with what Burton may potentially do with the franchise. Yeah, the guy might be eccentric, his movies might be a little pretentious or too 'art-y,' but the guy isn't stupid, and is by no means crazy enough to take such a large and beloved franchise into such a new direction. Yes, the changes might be notable if he were to take the reigns, and perhaps it would feel different, and there's the possibility of it not being as good, but there's no way he'd alter the series to the degree that people are suggesting.

But I will admit that some of your comments are rather funny :D. And that Photoshop is great, Irishmile!

have not heard it yet since I don't intend on buying it. It just would look ubly next to this:

[Image]

Ooh, that is nice; I want. All I've got is the 'At World's End' soundtrack so far; I'll pick up the rest of them later, including the new one (http://www.amazon.com/Pirates-Caribbean-Stranger-Hans-Zimmer/dp/B004V6MWE6/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1307366980&sr=8-20) (as it's pretty awesome, in my opinion)(those remixes don't interest me much, though).

This. All of this.

:)

Get Sam Raimi or get nobody.

Yeah, he'd be great, and would probably be the best suited, but why not Cuaron as well? I mean, look at the guy's past work; almost everything he's been involved in (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_Cuar%C3%B3n#Filmography) has seemed to turn to gold; his record is almost flawless. Quite frankly, I'd love to see what he can work the next Pirates into.

Admittedly, I haven't seen a lot of his works, but his credentials suggest the the series would at least be in some reliable hands. I'm not challenging your opinion (I don't really have anything to back up an argument anyway); I'm just interested in knowing your reasons why.

And would you object to letting Marshall have another crack at it?

[Chyron8472]

Better Tim Burton than Joel Schumacher.

*shudders*

[doodo!]

I used to be a big Tim Burton fan,not so much anymore. His glory days, as seen with live action movies has passed. But if he did a pirates film I'd be suckered into seeing it.

[Rather Dashing]

Am I the only one here who thinks that apart from the soundtracks the sequels in this series are useless?
They could have ended everything after the first movie and I wouldn't miss anything. Except for the great scores by Hans Zimmer for the second and third movie.
Not only were the sequels entirely unnecessary, they were actually retroactively harmful. The characters were allowed some measure of development in the first film, something they're NEVER ALLOWED TO DO AGAIN now that the franchise is "big". Worse than that, any character development from the first film is entirely undone so we can have the joy of not having to watch a version of an apparently beloved icon that has actually changed even the slightest iota since the starting point of the first film. This is most drastic in Jack Sparrow's case, but other cast members suffer from this as well.

I think everybody's sort of exaggerating with what Burton may potentially do with the franchise. Yeah, the guy might be eccentric, his movies might be a little pretentious or too 'art-y,' but the guy isn't stupid, and is by no means crazy enough to take such a large and beloved franchise into such a new direction. Yes, the changes might be notable if he were to take the reigns, and perhaps it would feel different, and there's the possibility of it not being as good, but there's no way he'd alter the series to the degree that people are suggesting.
"Art-y" and "pretentious" are the LAST words I'd use to describe Burton's recent output.

Also, uh, Batman Returns? The Penguin?

[Vainamoinen]

Not only were the sequels entirely unnecessary, they were actually retroactively harmful. The characters were allowed some measure of development in the first film, something they're NEVER ALLOWED TO DO AGAIN now that the franchise is "big". Worse than that, any character development from the first film is entirely undone so we can have the joy of not having to watch a version of an apparently beloved icon that has actually changed even the slightest iota since the starting point of the first film. This is most drastic in Jack Sparrow's case, but other cast members suffer from this as well.

Granted, the first movie drew a lot of its fun out of constantly wondering what Jack's really up to. That was sadly missing from the sequels and is probably entirely missing from Stranger Tides.

[Alcoremortis]

Granted, the first movie drew a lot of its fun out of constantly wondering what Jack's really up to. That was sadly missing from the sequels and is probably entirely missing from Stranger Tides.

Another difference is that the first movie had the "surprise" factor. At least for me. I seem to remember that all of the trailers for it marketed it as a action/thriller type movie, with the only main characters present being Elizabeth and Barbossa. So when the jokes started coming fast and furious, it was totally unexpected. And also hilarious. We just can't get that unexpected factor back.